It's a great day and since Spring is in the air, there is a little something extra in my stride. That's right, but that has nothing to do with the 'Pep' in my step. Tony Pep is my boxing coach and after a solid 1 hour private session with him yesterday, I'm still digesting the abundance of subtleties, complexities, and quotable expressions he fills my head with.
I start with 3 rounds of shadow boxing in the ring to music, with Tony's gruff voice of constant feedback in the background coaching me on how my shoulders should be positioned, how to move my feet (like a veteran dancer basically), and how I better be constantly moving my head. Round 3, he picks apart my hands and shows me exactly where they should be. I bring my hands up like so, copying him like a little kid..."Is this right Tony"? "Yep, that's right. Now move them around"!!! WHAT?!!
Boxing is an art form like nothing I've ever studied. It is complex, filled with trickery and strategy, and probably has the slowest learning curve of anything I've done. After 1.5 years of dedication and private training, I still feel like a beginner. Tony assures me that I have skill, but it's obvious that he wishes I had started when I was 19. So do I.
We worked on body hooks - placement, angle, weight distribution and getting my shoulder to move like it's not connected to the rest of my body. Literally, when he does it, it looks like his shoulder is coming right out of its socket and back in again. He makes it look easy, like everything else he does. After a while mine starts to look about 5% as good as his. When I get it right, my left hook hits the pad with a solid "whap" sound and it feels like I could knock someone out cold. Now I just have to remember to keep my right up! Tony's light slap with the pad to my jawline reminds me that my opponent could surprise me with an awesome left counter hook. Whoever gets there first is going to land the shot. Great lesson, great session.
I leave the gym sweaty, exhausted, but invigorated and always wanting more!
Hands up, chin down.
Emma
